370th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
| allegiance = | branch = Red Army | type = Division | role = Infantry | size = | garrison = | battles = Demyansk Pocket Battle of Nevel (1943) Lublin–Brest Offensive Vistula-Oder Offensive Battle of Berlin | decorations = | battle_honours = Brandenburg | notable_commanders = Col. Filipp Nikolaevich Romashin Maj. Gen. Evgenii Mikhailovich Andreev Col. Fyodor Ivanovich Chirkov Col. Matvei Mikhailovich Korsun Maj. Gen. Pyotr Savvich Gavilevskii | image_size = | current_commander = }} The 370th Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as a standard Red Army rifle division, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. It began forming in August, 1941 in the Siberian Military District. After forming, it was initially assigned to the 58th (Reserve) Army, but was soon reassigned to 34th Army in Northwestern Front, and until March, 1943, was involved in the dismal fighting around the Demyansk salient. After this was evacuated the division took part in equally difficult combat for the city of Staraya Russa. Near the end of that year the division was reassigned to 2nd Baltic Front, and spent several months in operations near Nevel and north of Vitebsk. In the spring of 1944 its combat path shifted southwards when it was moved to 69th Army in 1st Belorussian Front, south of the Pripet Marshes. In August it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its part in the liberation of Kovel. It went on to help form and hold the bridgehead over the Vistula at Puławy, and in January, 1945, joined the drive of 1st Belorussian Front across Poland and into eastern Germany, earning the battle honor "Brandenburg". It was disbanded later that year. Formation The division began forming on August 10, 1941 in the Siberian Military DistrictWalter S. Dunn, Jr., Stalin's Keys to Victory, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2006, p. 79 at Tomsk. Its basic order of battle was as follows: * 1230th Rifle Regiment * 1232nd Rifle Regiment * 1234th Rifle Regiment * 940th Artillery RegimentCharles C. Sharp, "Red Tide", Soviet Rifle Divisions Formed From June to December 1941, Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Vol. IX, Nafziger, 1996, p. 98 Col. Filipp Nikolaevich Romashin was not assigned to command of the division until November 1, and he would remain in command until March 5, 1942. As with many other divisions forming in Siberia at the time it was temporarily assigned to 58th (Reserve) Army in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command in the same month. It was finally sent to the front in February, 1942, joining 34th Army in Northwestern Front, facing the nearly-encircled German II Army Corps at Demyansk.Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 98 Postwar Following the German surrender, the men and women of the division shared the full title of 370th Rifle, Brandenburg, Order of the Red Banner, Order of Kutuzov Division. According to STAVKA Order No. 11096 of May 29, 1945, part 8, the 370th is listed as one of the rifle divisions to be "disbanded in place".Stavka Order No. 11095Feskov et al. 2013, pp. 413 414 It was disbanded in accordance with the directive in July, 1945. References Citations Bibliography * 1945|ref=harv|authors=}} pp. 280-81 * External links *Filipp Nikolaevich Romashin *Evgenii Mikhailovich Andreev *Pyotr Savvich Gavilevskii 370 Category:Military units and formations established in 1941 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Category:Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner